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Background +
Louisiana's health care system has consistently ranked among the highest in per capita costs and uninsured residents and among the lowest in clinical quality and overall health. Although these issues had existed for many years, they became even clearer in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.The storms devastated the health care system in Louisiana's coastal regions, but left behind an unparalleled opportunity to improve health care for the state's residents. Local and state leaders and stakeholders recognized the urgency of creating a more cost-effective and quality-focused health care system for our state and began efforts to drive these improvements.These efforts began with the development of the Louisiana Health Care Redesign Collaborative in 2006. The collaborative, under the direct authority of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and composed of a broad spectrum of providers, payers, patients and other stakeholders, developed a series of recommendations on how to rebuild health care in our state.One of those recommendations was the creation of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum. Through the efforts of more than 40 health care and consumer groups, the State Legislature formally recognized the Quality Forum in 2007. A neutral, private, not-for-profit organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors, the Quality Forum was tasked with planning, promoting and conducting quality improvement initiatives in our state.
The organization's initial focus was on the transition to patient-centered models of care delivery to improve quality and outcomes while reducing costs. This focus quickly expanded to include other clinical quality improvement measures and an emphasis on the collection and analysis of trusted, actionable health care data.The Quality Forum soon recognized, too, the importance of providing Louisiana's residents with information that not only improves their decision-making at the point of care, but also at the point of choosing a provider or health plan, when engaging in self-care and with lifestyle choices that may affect their health. Outreach and education to support patient engagement and empowerment was subsequently identified as another priority initiative for the Quality Forum.By 2008, it had also identified health information technology (IT) as a major need in Louisiana, and in 2009, the Quality Forum was designated by DHH as the State-Designated Entity to lead the planning and implementation of health IT grants made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).The following year, in 2010, the organization was awarded $7.8 million in ARRA funds to establish a Regional Extension Center (REC), the Louisiana Health Information Technology (LHIT) Resource Center, to assist the state's health care providers in the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs).The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) awarded the Quality Forum a $10.6 million grant that same year to design and implement the Louisiana Health Information Exchange (LaHIE). The exchange launched and went live in 2011 with two pilot sites, Lafayette General Medical Center and Opelousas General Health System.The Quality Forum also adopted the Louisiana Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (LaPOST) program as one of its initiatives in 2010. Approved as Act 954 in the 2010 regular session of the State Legislature, LaPOST is an evidence-based model designed to improve end-of-life care for those with serious, advanced illnesses – the program's focus on quality made it a natural fit for the Quality Forum.In the years since, the Quality Forum's initiatives – Patient-Centered Medical Home, Quality Measurement and Analytics, Outreach and Education, Health IT and LaPOST – have overlapped and aligned, yielding a comprehensive and integrated approach to improving health care quality, value and outcomes in Louisiana. The organization's accomplishments in this endeavor have benefitted, and will continue to benefit, our state as a whole. -
Leadership +
Guidance and Expertise: Forum LeadersThe Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum is a private, not-for-profit organization. Our volunteer board represents a cross section of public and private insurance purchasers, patient advocates, providers, physicians and insurers in the state. Hundreds of stakeholders volunteer their time in committees and workgroups that focus on health information technology, quality measurement, clinical quality improvement, medical homes and outreach and education.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ChairA.A. "Chard" Richard IIIAlliant Employee Benefits
Immediate Past ChairMichael Fleming, MD, FAAPFleming Advisors
Incoming ChairTurner Industries
Daniel F. Burke, SPHR
Secretary/Treasurer
Ruth KennedySouthern Strategy Group
BOARD MEMBERS
Daniel F. Burke, SPHRTurner Industries
Chuck Burnell, MD
Acadian Companies
John GeorgeBRF
Wes Hataway, JDLouisiana Nursing Home Association
Tom SawyerSawyer & Associates
Cheryl TolbertLouisiana Business Group on Health
In recognition of the tremendous contributions made by the late former Governor Kathleen Blanco, the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum will designate a chair on its Board in her honor. This chair will be reserved for appointed individuals who exemplify Gov. Blanco’s leadership and who share her vision of the highest quality of life for Louisiana residents, regardless of political interests.
Chief Executive Officer
Cindy Munn, MHACindy Munn has more than 25 years of experience in health care leadership and operations management. As Chief Executive Officer of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum, Munn oversees development of the strategic roadmap for the organization that supports an integrated approach to transforming health care in Louisiana. She has oversight responsibility for initiatives that include health information technology (IT), practice transformation/medical home development, analytics support, clinical quality improvement, end-of-life care planning and education/outreach. With regard to health IT, she directed the state's regional extension center as well as the development and implementation of the state health information exchange.Munn serves on the board of the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) and is a member of NRHI’s Executive Committee. In addition, she serves on NRHI’s Public Policy committee and is chairman of the Governance Committee.
Munn also serves as a Plenary Assembly Officer for the National POLST and an Advanced Care Transformation Index Coach for the Coalition to Transform Advance Care National program.
Munn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology from Louisiana State University and a Master of Science degree in Health Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.
President
Marcia Blanchard, MHA, SPHR, SHRM-SCPAs President of the Louisiana Health Quality Forum, Marcia Blanchard, MHA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, facilitates the collaborative planning, development, implementation and evaluation of key initiatives and strategies pertaining to health information technology (IT), analytics, patient-centered medical home, quality measurement and clinical quality improvement programs. Blanchard has more than 25 years of experience in health care management, human resources, leadership development, employee relations, health IT conversions and program development. In addition, she has been strongly involved in quality initiatives and holds a black belt in Six Sigma. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications with an emphasis on Intercultural Communications and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Colorado State University.
Chief Technology Officer Brian RichmondAs Chief Technology Officer, Brian Richmond brings 20 years of information technology (IT) experience to the Quality Forum, including 18 in the health care field. He oversees the daily operations of the Louisiana Health Information Exchange (LaHIE) and works with new participants to ensure electronic health record (EHR) system connectivity. He also collaborates with leadership and partners in all Quality Forum initiatives to evaluate technology uses that may have a positive impact on the delivery of health care in Louisiana. He has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Southeastern University in Hammond, La., and is a HIMSS Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems. In addition, he is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. -
Announcements +
Please check back for the latest announcements from the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum. -
Annual Reports +
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Employment +
Thank you for your interest in the Quality Forum. There are no employment opportunities available at this time. -
Media Kit +
Media Contact
Our media contact is available to provide detailed information about the Quality Forum, help you develop story ideas and arrange interviews with board or staff members.
Monique Tyler
Office Administrator
225.300.4825
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Online Media Kit
Our online media kit will provide you with basic information about the organization and its major initiatives.
Request a Speaker
Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum staff members are available to speak at health care-related meetings, events and conferences on the following topics:Meaningful Use guidelines
Electronic health record adoption and implementation
Medicare and Medicaid incentives for eligible providers and hospitals
Health information exchange
Patient-centered medical home transformation and recognition
LaPOST document and end-of-life care
Health care data and analytics
Quality measurement and improvementIf you would like to schedule a Quality Forum representative to speak at an event, please contact Monique Tyler at 225.300.4825 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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